This is my first car in 5 years. And it's wacky.

"Berang" (berang)
05/24/2015 at 00:08 • Filed to: freewheels man, saab 96, vintage cars

The last car I owned was a 1969 Subaru 360. What could possibly replace that thing? How about this?

For five years I didn’t own a car. I didn’t really have the money - or the need. In fact, living only three miles from downtown Austin, Texas - a bicycle was fine for most of the time. But eventually I needed a vehicle to haul stuff in and to protect me from the cloud water that comes out of the sky sometimes. I began looking for another car, and after realizing that nobody in Austin likes or owns old cars (well at least not foreign ones with non-insane asking prices) I found a SAAB 96 about an hour and half away in the middle of nowhere. After being listed for several months with no buyers the seller accepted my offer and I drove home with this 1973 model.

Such engine. Many power. - What moves a 96? A 1.7 liter Ford Germany V4. Yes a V4. Two banks of two cylinders. It’s teamed up with a four speed manual with freewheel. What’s a freewheel? Well basically it’s a one-way clutch that allows the transmission to overrun the engine. Like the freewheel of a bike, when you go down hill you can stop pedaling and the bike coasts. So when you let off the gas in a 96 - the engine falls down to idle and the car just keeps rolling. This is great because you don’t even have to use the clutch once the car is rolling. Let off the gas, let the RPMs drop - shift.

The shifting is done with a column mounted lever. It seems odd today, but at the time it was still a pretty usual thing for the gear change to be on the steering column of cars. The SAAB 96 is a properly narrow car so there wouldn’t be much room for a floor mounted gear stick anyway. It is annoyingly common to turn on the windshield wipers by accident while changing gear though. Starting in the late 1960s the heater controls of cars needed to be lighted for safety reasons. For some airplane-science genius reason, SAAB, rather than putting a light over the heater levers - apparently decided it would be smarter to put a bulb inside of the gas gauge that projects just a hint of light out through the glass and over to the heater levers at an angle. I don’t know what they were thinking either.

Driving a 96 is a lot of fun. Unless you like driving new cars, in which case it would be awful. Old cars are noisy and they smell funny. Also you sit very high by modern car standards; This SAAB has 7” of ground clearance. That’s almost as much as a modern Ford Explorer. The seats are also mounted high, and there is a lot of body roll when cornering. Plus there is no power steering and this thing is front wheel drive. At slow speeds you have to work for steering. Have you ever wondered why everybody in old photographs have really well toned arms? Because no power steering. But - if you like old cars you might be pleasantly surprised. Disregard the body roll and the car handles very nicely, it won’t plow off a corner face first, or fly off ass backwards, even in the rain - this was an incredible feat of engineering in 1960 when that was “just how cars handle”. The 96 won tons of rallies in the 60s because of this “no unexpected flying off the road” feature. It’s also well planted on the road and has quick, tight steering. And the freewheel allows for clutchless shifting in traffic as long as you don’t come to a complete stop. Very nice in Austin where you often go less than 20mph on certain highways at certain times of the day.

1973 was the last year for the 96 in the U.S. - it seems strange given how terrible most of the small car competition was in the early 1970s, but even as bad as cars like the Vega and Pinto were - they looked new. Even with the 1969 facelift the 96 was an old car. Plus with the new 99, SAAB didn’t feel like investing money in the 96 to bring it up to U.S. spec for 1974 (5mph bumpers, recessed fuel cap, etc.) - so they dumped their economy car in the middle of the oil crisis. Honda then brought over the Civic and we all know the story from there. The SAAB 96 is not as cute, or as fun, or as weird as a Subaru 360 - but it is sort of cute, and sort of fun, and sort of weird in its own ways, and it can be driven on highways. I like it - and a V4 makes wonderful sounds.

DISCUSSION (34)

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Berang
05/24/2015 at 00:12

WHAT? You’ve got a 96 v4? You’re the most Jalop of all jalops right now. It smells.. well... uhm.. like.. They SMELL ok :P and it drives like an old couch. But they are AWESOME.

Slant6 > Berang
05/24/2015 at 00:12

Kinja'd!!!

California Highway Patrol

Your boy, BJR > Berang
05/24/2015 at 00:25

I actually have a Saab Tattoo. Inside my left eyelid. Under the logo it reads “Never again”.

But anyway, enjoy it! Good luck!

Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast > Berang
05/24/2015 at 00:27

“ the cloud water that comes out of the sky sometimes.” Classic!

I think I’ve experienced this stuff before.

Great write up and what a cool car that is, V4 FTW!

Berang > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
05/24/2015 at 00:27

I’ve also owned a Renault Le Car. And (very briefly) a Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt. The Renault was even more of a couch. The Dodge though... what a car. I will post about it in the future.

Berang > Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast
05/24/2015 at 00:32

Thanks for reading, and that water has been happening a lot lately...

It had adverse effects on the “moped” I had been using (that will get a post too later) so a car was necessary.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Berang
05/24/2015 at 00:35

You know the part where I said right now? :P

Previous owner of a BMW E28 528i Shadowline, an NSU Ro 80 and a Citroën CX GTi Turbo here :P

But your Saab beats the crap out of my Saab for sure :) I’ve only got a ‘95 9000 CD 2.0 :)

Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast > Berang
05/24/2015 at 00:38

Ha ha, horses for courses. A roof is a good asset to have sometimes.

Jonee > Berang
05/24/2015 at 00:39

Man, we’ve lived parallel car lives. I just got my Le Car back on the road, you know about my Subaru 360’s, and I was looking at a sweet little Dodge Colt that I spotted with a for sale sign on it earlier today.

Berang > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
05/24/2015 at 00:43

What happened to the NSU? (My Grandfather worked for NSU). The Ro 80 seems so cool.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Berang
05/24/2015 at 00:45

The gearbox started acting up.. not really worth it as a DD. Was my only car right then.

Jonee > Berang
05/24/2015 at 00:47

Awesome car, and terrific post once again. I love the freewheel feature. They built a few Messerschmitts with it, too. I think it was good for two-stroke engines which could be why Saab developed it.

Berang > Jonee
05/24/2015 at 00:50

Le Cars were/are criminally underrated cars. It beat the wheels off of my friend’s VW rabbit.

The Dodge Colts are neat cars, but really mostly for the styling. I guess it’s an arcane alternative to a Datsun or Toyota, it did drive well - the seller of mine put extended spring shackles on the rear so the wheels wouldn’t rub in the fenders when people sat in the back. He did a lot of other things too. If I can find the photos of the car I will post about it sometime. I never actually registered the car - put it on CL after a year for what I paid and it was gone by the end of the day.

Berang > Jonee
05/24/2015 at 00:59

DKWs had it too (also for 2-stroke reasons). Oddly it was an option on some pre-war Studebakers, and I think some Rovers also used them. Probably not very safe on a very heavy car with drum brakes.

Jonee > Berang
05/24/2015 at 01:02

Yeah, they’re peppier than you think and so fun to toss around. I was realizing today that I need to adjust my gas pedal because I can floor it and it has more to give. I wrote a Le Car review like my 360 one in case you didn’t see it.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/renault-le-car…

Yeah, the Colts are so distinctive. I guess they weren’t as ubiquitous as Civics or Rabbits so they stand out, but there is something handsome about that little car. And they did make a performance one.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Berang
05/24/2015 at 01:52

So you have the original cologne?

desertdog5051 > Berang
05/24/2015 at 02:38

I remember the 2 strokes that preceded yours. The freewheel was for the protection of the 2 stroke engine. Interesting that they held on to it into the 4 stroke era.

Cé hé sin > Jonee
05/24/2015 at 05:42

Yes, two strokes aren’t sufficiently lubricated if you use engine braking (too many revs, not enough fuel/oil mix) so a freewheel is a good idea if you don’t want a seized engine.

jkm7680 > Berang
05/24/2015 at 09:10

That’s an awesome little car!

FlimFlamMan > Berang
05/24/2015 at 10:09

I think it is awesome. Great find and nice read.

Jonee > Cé hé sin
05/24/2015 at 13:20

Especially if it’s oil injection. The Messerschmitt owner’s manual used to tell you to smoke a cigarette if your engine seized and by the time you’re done, the motor should be good to go.

Sdwarf36 -1 > Berang
05/24/2015 at 22:11

Some day we’ll have a thread of “whos had the most weird/shitty cars?” My wife would be close to the top—but you’re in contention for the win with that list.

Berang > Sdwarf36 -1
05/25/2015 at 01:30

I’ve never owned a Pinto, Vega, Citation or Alliance. So I’ve automatically flunked out of 1st place. ()

wkiernan > Berang
05/29/2015 at 20:16

I had a ‘67 Monte Carlo thirty-five years ago. What a great car! You’re lucky (actually you’re smart , enough to have bought that wonderful thing) and I envy you.

NipperDawg > Berang
05/29/2015 at 21:07

Finally a car my Justy might beat in a drag race!

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Berang
05/29/2015 at 23:36

By Colt you mean the 71 Galant? Or a later one?

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Berang
05/29/2015 at 23:38

I saw the wagon version in SF the other day, I wanted it so bad. I really want a Citroen DS but its more work than I can do myself. I have a 300D Merc and a 71’ 240Z and thats about all I can handle right now. I would love one of these and maybe a 2CV for fun.

Paul E misplaced his star > Berang
05/30/2015 at 01:03

Looks like an exceptionally nice V4; shouldn’t even be too rusty in that part of Texas. There’s a very robust vintage Saab community out there (as well as a robust Saab community, in general). My own experiences of owning a 96 V4? Chicks dig it and dogs bark at it.

Berang > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
05/30/2015 at 01:49

It was the Galant. Not the later hatchback. Very cool looking car.

Berang > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
05/30/2015 at 05:03

TBH I’d prefer the wagon but they are much harder to find these days. I think it’d make the perfect camping car. Something the 2cv and 96 have in common is a very “mechanical” feel. They feel like machinery when driven. There is no hiding anything in these cars which is part of what makes old cars so interesting but with these the mechanism is even more apparent - from the sounds to the feedback through the wheel and pedals. I suppose you could say they share a similar “aura” - but of course the 96 has way more power than the 2cv and will keep up with modern traffic even if is by no means fast. If you ever get a change to drive a 2cv take it and have fun.

Land-Rover Matt > Berang
05/30/2015 at 09:25

My Dad had a 2 stroke Saab when I was a baby. Apparently it cut out when going through puddles, and as we’re British...

The same 3 cyl design occurred in East German Wartburgs (pron: FartBerg, aptly). For some reason they had the radiator behind the block, and I’m told the Saabs were the same, so I can’t even blame communism for that.

Yes apparently the Rovers he had after that did indeed have a switchable freewheel system, although why the hell anybody would want such a thing I cannot fathom.

Berang > Land-Rover Matt
05/30/2015 at 10:44

The radiator behind the engine bit was copied from DKW for both SAAB and Wartburg. It allowed the cars to use thermosyphon cooling and also the radiator could do double duty as the heater core.

I had some correspondence with Bob Sinclair, former head of SAAB’s U.S. division about his Wartburg. He imported a new one in the 1980s for “testing and evaluation” and found it was hardly different from an early 1960s SAAB. Then the EPA found out and had the car crushed, because you know the damage a single Wartburg can do to the environment.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Berang
05/30/2015 at 12:23

That’s why I like my 300D, its like a truck, its the last Mercedes that had a mechanical feel, it shakes and whines (turbo) and feels like some kind of weird mechanical contraption. My 240Z has that 60’s car feel, its very simple and everything the car does gets back to you, of course something so striped down as a 2CV or 96 is probably more so, I have never had one. I do know the 96 won’t oil itself going down long hills so you have to keep on the gas a bit, like an old Vespa, I’ve had a few 60’s Vespas. I find it hard to keep up with maintenance and all the small things with three cars, I don’t think I could do more alone, plus cars need to be driven, when they sit all kinds of bad things happen.

Land-Rover Matt > Berang
05/30/2015 at 18:26

Imagine if it had a Trabant for company! The horror.

(Still don’t understand the radiator thing. That’s probably because I’m thick though, so don’t worry about it).